Combined stopper and cleaning device



C. H-BRIGHT, JR. COMBINED STOPPER AND CLEANING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. I920.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET lind/Z C. H. BRIGHT, JR. COMBINED STOPPEB AND CLEANINGDEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED. JUNE 10, 1920.

1,394,1 39. Patented oat. is, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E-Im

anomwwg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUDE H. BRIGHT, JR., OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

COMBINED STOPPER AND CLEANING DEVICE.

Application filed June 10,

T 0 all 10 ham it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE H. BRIGHT, J12, citizen of the United States,residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Stoppersand Cleaning Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates generally to containers and specifically tocontainers having a hollow closure adapted to receive a portion of thecontents of the container whereby said contents may be spread on, orotherwise applied to a surface.

The particular object of the invention is to enable a cleansing fluid tobe abstracted from a bottle, can or other reservoir and applied to asurface tobe cleaned, the stopper or closure of the reservoir beinadapted for, use as a fountain cleaning tool.

The invention comprises a container and a hollow cap or stopper thereforhaving a fluid permeable valve spring seated on its inner open endwhereby the valve may be opened and the container inverted to fill thehollow cap or stopper with fluid, and the cap or stopper may then be.removed and utilized as a fountain spreader or scrubber to apply thefluid to a surface to be coated or cleaned.

In the accompanying drawing wherein similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts.

Figure 1 is a section through the upper part of a container having avalved stopper therein, 7

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 inverted and withthe valve open,

Fig. 3 is a section through the hollow cap or stopper detached, with thevalve closed in condition for use as a fountain spreader or scrubber,

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the sheet metal valve before applicationthereto of the absorbent body, V

Fig. 5 is a detailed view showing a modified form of spring for holdingthe valve closed.

Fig. '6 shows a modified form of container and stopper. a

F'g. 7 is a perspective of a modified stop- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 388,060.

Fig, 8 shows a vertical section through the modified stopper, and

Fig. 9 is a top plan view thereof.

In sheet 1 of the drawings the container is shown in the form of abottle 1 which may be of glass as indicated, having a reduced neckproviding a seat 2 for a stopper. The bottle is indicated as containinga liquor 3, which may be a coating or cleaning fluid.

The container 1 is closed by a closure shown in the drawing as a stopper1-, having a cavity 5. The top portion of the stopper is pierced by aperforation 6, through which passes, fluid tight, the stem 7 of a valve8 seated on the under portion of the stopper was to close the cavity 5.The stem 7 is provided with a head or push button 9 adapted to bepressed upon by a thumb or finger, in order to unseat the valve. Thevalve 8 is maintained closed by the pressure of a spring 10 as shown inFigs. 1, 2 and the said spring bearing upon the under side of the head9. The stopper 4 may be made of rubber, cork, or other yieldingmaterial, or it may be made of glass, or any suitable material. If madeof glass, it should be ground so as to fit a corresponding orifice inthe bottle or other container. In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 I have shown astopper made preferably of rubber composition, and the spring 10 is alsocomposed of rubber vulcanized to such a degree as to render itsufliciently elastic to serve the purpose of a spring to retain valve 8closed.

The valve 8 is preferably formed of sheet metal or other suitable sheetmaterial, perforated as indicated at 13, and secured to a stem 7 bymeans of a collar 11 surrounding the lower end of said stem; projectinglaterally from the sheet metal valve 8 are points or ears 12. A body offelt or other absorbent material is secured to the valve 8 b means ofthe points 12, which may be turned as illustrated and caused to enterthe edge of a wad of felt 14; or other absorbent substance.

In case the stopper is made of material other than rubber it may bepreferable to use a coil spring 10 as indicated by Fig. 5, or such aspring may be used with any type of stopper as preferred.

It will be seen that the stopper 4 serves,- in use, as a tight closurefor the bottle or other container and will revent evaporation ofvolatile fluids. Sholfid it be desired to remove a quantity of the fluidfor application' to a surface, as in blacking shoes, cleaning cloth orremoving spots from any surface by the use of naphtha or other volatilecleansing fluid, the container may be inverted as indicated in Fig. 2,the valve pressed from its seat by the thumb or finger, whereupon"liquid will run into the hollow stopper; and when suiiicient liquid forthe purpose in view has been received into the said 1 stopper the thumbwill be removed from the press button or head on the stem of the valveand the spring allowed to close the valve. Thebottle may then be rightedand the stopper used as a fountain spreader or scrubbing implement. Thesmallholes in the valve will permit the liquid to permeate the absorbentbody of felt or the like, so that it may be rubbed upon the surface tobe treated and the fluid applied thereto as for cleaning or coatingpurposes. The fluid will very gradually be drawn from the hollow stopperinto the absorbent mate rial so as to keep it properly charged duringthe cleaning or coating operation. The charge may be renewed, of course,as often as desired, or as long as fluid remains in the main reservoir,and when the operation is completed the'stopper may be replaced in the:reservoir and will keep the contents inclosed or confined withoutevaporation.

WVhen considerable friction needs to be applied by means of the fountainscrubber, as in removing old spots from clothing, it is desirable to usea large scrubbing surface, preferably elongated, so as to keep thescrubbing instrument from tilting as it is moved to and fro over thesurface by the operator. To provide for this contingency,I contemplateusing a can, or similar reservoir, having an elongated discharge andfilling orifice, whichmay, in plan view, be oblong, oval, orofsimilaroutline, representing an area having a major and a minor axis.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrateda can 1, which may be of sheet metal havinga neck 2 at one side ofoval or oblong section, into which fitsa stopper4 of corresponding cross section. The said stopper 4, like the stopper4, hasa permeable valve, and a valve stem, spring pressedto close thelower end of the stopper. In Fig. 8, the metallic portion of theelongated'valve is designated 8 the ab? sorbent coating or cleaning padi l; 'the valve. stem 7, thepush button or head 9*",

and the valve seating spring 10. v Should in either form of theinventionjthe stopperbe made of unyielding material,- it may be found'desirable to provide a packing gasket between the valve and the loweredge'of the stopper. If. the stopper is of rubber composition, cork, orsimilar yieldable material, as described,- 110 packing is necessaryand-nonehas been illustrated. ;;.Wit h the. elongated I stopwlf filledwith tendency forthe stopper to tilt when used inthis manner, and theabsorbent pad will be maintained flat and in full contact with thesurface during manipulation.

, What Iclaimis: J

l. The combination with a container of a hollow cap or stopper having aclosedtop and a spr'ing seatedvalve adapted to control communicationbetween the interior of the container-and the interior of the hollow capor stopper. T .1 r 1 2. A hollow cap or. stopper having a closed top andan opening in the end designedto be inserted inthe opening of acontainer, a valvev adapted to control said opening, aspringtendingtoseat said valve,and a' valve handle whereby the valvemay'bc unseated against the tension of'the spring.

A hollow cap or stopper having an openingin the end-designed to beinserted in the opening of a' container, a valve adapted to seat inward,said valve having a stem prm jecting through the top ofthe' stopper anda sprin tending to seat-thevalve. 1

i. hollow cap or stopper having an opening in the end designed tobeinserted-in theopening of a container,- a valve adapted to seat inward,said valve ha'ving'a stem projecting through the .topof the stopper anda spring arranged to bearupon the top of the its outer face. pi

-. v 8. A hollow cap or stopper having a closed top and an open lowerend, a perforated valve of sheet material adapted to close said openend, said valve havinga stemproject ing throughthe top. of theclosure; aspring exerting its tension between. the top of the absorbent body vale. I ;9. A hollow closure for, a ,c'ontainer,. said hollow closurehaving an elongated cross section .;.a closedtoip and an open bottom, apermeable valve corresponding in outline to the cross sectional form ofthe closure, and a spring device tending to seat saidgvalve' an closethe said open bottom. 7 1

. In testimony whereof ;I allix-my-signature. CLAUDE H. BRIGHT, J 11.;

on the outer face of; the

closureand' the stem toseat thevalve, and an

